RAMONES

BRAIN DRAIN

  1/  I Believe in Miracles                      (Dee Dee Ramone,Rey)          3.18
  2/  Zero Zero UFO                              (Dee Dee Ramone,Rey)          2.24
  3/  Don't Bust My Chops                        (DDRamone,J.Ramone,Rey)       2.28
  4/  Punishment Fits the Crime                  (DD Ramone,Stotts)            3.05
  5/  All Screwed Up                             (JR,MR,DR,Schernoff)          3.58
  6/  Palisades Park                             (Barris)                      2.19
  7/  Pet Sematary                               (Dee Dee Ramone,Rey)          3.29
  8/  Learn To Listen                            (DDR,JR,MR,Rey)               1.49
  9/  Can't Get You Outta My Mind                (Joey Ramone)                 3.20
  10/ Ignorance Is Bliss                         (J.Ramone,Schernoff)          2.37
  11/ Come Back, Baby                            (Joey Ramone)                 3.58
  12/ Merry Christmas (I Don't Want              (Joey Ramone)                 2.04
           to Fight Tonight)
  13/ Pet Semetary (Bill Laswell Version)        (Dee Dee Ramone,Rey)          3.35

          Recorded at Sorcerer Sound and Quad Recording
          Engineer: Oz Fritz
          Assistant at Quad Recording: Robbie Norris
          Assistant at Sorcerer Sound: Judy Kirschner
          Mixed by Robert Musso at Platinum Island
          Produced by Bill Laswell
          Tracks 7 and 12 produced by Jean Beauvoir and Daniel Rey
          Mastered by Howie Weinberg at Masterdisk
Joey Ramone: vocals; Dee Dee Ramone: bass; Marky Ramone: drums; Johnny Ramone: guitar.

          1989 - Sire/Warner Bros. (USA), 25905-1 (Vinyl)
          1989 - Sire/Warner Bros. (USA), 25905-2  (CD)
          1989 - Chrysalis (UK), CCD 1725 (CD)
          2004 - Captain Oi! (UK), AHOY CD 244 (CD)
Note: Track 13 only appears on the 2004 release.
Note: Bill Laswell does not play on this album.


REVIEWS :

Though it contains one of the Ramones' biggest radio hits, "Pet Sematary" (written for {%Stephen King}'s movie of the same name), 1989's Brain Drain finds the "bruthas" from Queens at an all-time inspirational low. And since the aforementioned track is actually reviled by most of the band's hardcore fans, the listener has to make do with opener "I Believe in Miracles" and closer "Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight), which bookend the amazingly dull tracks in between with the record's only bright moments. The final Ramones album recorded for Sire Records (their label from day one), Brain Drain was sadly also the last to feature bassist and creative leader Dee Dee Ramone.

Ed Rivadavia (courtesy of the All Music Guide, via the Get Music website)